


Both Wonderful and Strange

by breathtaken



Category: Critical Role (Web Series) RPF
Genre: BDSM, Community: criticalkink, Kink Discovery, Kink Exploration, M/M, Nipple Play, Non-Monogamy, Praise Kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:09:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21692590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breathtaken/pseuds/breathtaken
Summary: Travis always thought being dominated would be something harsh and scary, but that makes vanishingly little sense when he considers that this isTal,familiar and warm, within hands’ reach and waiting patiently.“Okay,” he says, and Tal smiles a little wider and asks, “Would you like to kiss me?”
Relationships: Taliesin Jaffe/Travis Willingham
Comments: 8
Kudos: 87





	Both Wonderful and Strange

**Author's Note:**

> For the [kink meme prompt](https://criticalkink.dreamwidth.org/3385.html?thread=1253177#cmt1253177): nipple play.
> 
> As usual, don't share this; let's keep it exclusively for the people who came looking for it.

_ I have no idea where this will lead us. But I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange.” – Twin Peaks _

* * *

Travis is ready – or as close as he’s gonna get, anyway, kneeling on the bed in his spare room with Taliesin facing him, smiling a little. Tal looks impossibly calm; Travis himself feels seconds from vibrating out of his own skin with sheer nerves.

“We’re just gonna play a little. Have some fun,” he says, and oh _ fuck _ this is actually happening _ right now. _ “Explore what we might like to do together.”

Travis always thought being dominated would be something harsh and scary, but that makes vanishingly little sense when he considers that this is _ Tal, _familiar and warm, within hands’ reach and waiting patiently.

“Okay,” he says, and Tal smiles a little wider and asks, “Would you like to kiss me?”

Turns out, it’s that easy: Tal’s got a bit of beard at the moment and it’s pleasantly whiskery against Travis’ lips, and after a few moments he relaxes. Tal tells him to keep kissing him, where to put his hands, and it’s nice. He makes it easy to follow his lead.

Taliesin doesn’t tell. Instead he asks before touching Travis, just over his clothes, warm, steady strokes along his shoulders and down his arms, his back, his chest.

As he brushes over his nipples through the fabric, Travis’ breath hitches, the touch sending sparks of pleasure through him.

“Lovely,” Tal murmurs against his lips, and Travis shies away a little without even realising he’s done it until he sees how Tal is frowning at him.

“Okay?”

“Yeah. Just – not something I’m used to.”

It’s dumb, but he’s always kinda felt that sensitive nipples are a thing that _ women _ should have. Not him. So he’s never really encouraged anyone to… do that. And even though he’s gotten older and wiser and the logical part of his brain no longer believes shit like that – well, old habits and all.

Tal smiles, in that way he has that says he already knows what Travis is thinking. “Does it feel good?”

Travis swallows. “Yeah.”

“Then I’d like to keep doing it, if it feels good.”

“Okay.”

Maybe it can be that simple.

Tal keeps moving his hands all over Travis’ upper body through his T-shirt, not paying particular attention to any one area – but now Travis is primed for that specific touch, waiting breathlessly for Tal’s hands on his pecs, for the twin hot sparks of pleasure that seem to travel straight to his cock, already stirring in his pants.

When the third time, Tal pauses with his hands just short of where Travis wants them, he lets out an indignant whine before he thinks better of it – stifling the sound immediately, of course, but it’s already too late.

“I like it when my partners make noise,” Tal says gently, lips hinting at a wicked smile that makes Travis realise things might not always be as calm and gentle as they are right now – and _ oh, _ his hindbrain likes that, in ways he doesn’t think he quite knows how to deal with yet. “It helps me judge if I’m on the right track. Especially if there are things they’re not comfortable saying in words just yet.”

Well, ain’t _ that _ the truth.

“This is all pretty new to me.” It feels like a confession, even though it’s nothing that Taliesin doesn’t already know. “But – I like it. You touching my chest.”

“Good. Thank you for telling me.” When Tal smiles like that, it does something new and hot to Travis’ insides that makes him feel distinctly unsteady. “Here’s your reward.”

This time Tal pinches, Travis letting out a gasp that quickly becomes a whine as he doesn’t stop, tugging and rolling Travis’ nipples between thumb and finger until it_ hurts. _ It’s relentless and a little mean and so good that Travis actually feels a little dizzy.

When Tal abruptly lets him go, it can’t have been more than thirty seconds, but his chest is heaving like he’s just done a workout and he feels shaky and turned-on and a little terrified all at once.

If Tal can make him feel like this when he’s still got all his clothes on, then getting naked together might just kill him.

“How was that?” Tal asks, curling his hands around Travis’ on his knees, voice a deep rumble in his chest.

“I –_ wow._” He grins, a little sheepishly. “This is nothing like what I expected.”

Tal smiles, the reassuring one. “Whips and chains? Those are just the props. The real magic happens here,” he says, and taps Travis’ temple with his fingers.

As Travis blinks at him, the words sinking in, Taliesin puts a firm hand on his jaw and commands, “Kiss me. Don’t stop until I tell you to.” His hands start to roam again, this time down over Travis’ hips and thighs too, steering clear of his crotch, but every brush against his nipples feels even more sensitive now than it did the first time, and Travis can’t help gasping into his mouth.

“It’s good, isn’t it? And the more I do this –” Taliesin pinches again, and Travis groans against his lips – “the more sensitive they’re gonna get.”

His hands hover at Travis’ waist, brushing warm against the strip of bare skin there. “Can I take your shirt off?”

“Yeah. Please,” Travis breathes, because he has a vague idea that BDSM is about saying that kind of thing, though if Taliesin asked him to call him ‘Sir’ he thinks he might crack up laughing.

“Okay. You can stop kissing me,” Tal adds as Travis tries to chase his lips when he pulls away. It’s worth it for that smile, the one that crinkles the corners of his eyes. “Arms up.”

Tal pulls Travis’ shirt fluently over his head and then shuffles forward, into his lap.

“Hey,” he says, as Travis’ hands come to rest tentatively on his hips. “Yeah, that’s good. Keep your hands there for now.” 

He starts stroking over Travis’ upper body again, just as he did before – only this time it’s skin on skin, and Travis’ nervous arousal ratchets up another notch.

Taliesin, curse him, is looking at him like he knows exactly what Travis _ really _ wants, and isn’t giving it to him.

When he told Tal what he liked, he thinks, then he got more of it; and even though the thought of it makes him want to sink through the mattress, the chain of cause and effect here is hardly a subtle one.

“Please?” he tries, making his eyes just a little wide and his voice just a little breathy, and Tal’s smile says he’s not fooled but he cups Travis’ pecs all the same, rolling his thumbs in circles over his nipples.

“That’s good. Ask me for what you want,” Tal tells, pinching again until Travis moans, fingers digging into Tal’s hips. “That’s how you’re gonna get it.”

Tal’s hands have fallen still again, and he raises an eyebrow – he’s being conditioned, Travis realises, and decides just as quickly he doesn’t actually care, if this is how Tal wants him, if this is how Tal is gonna make him feel. “More? Please?”

Tal grins. “More what?”

“Touch my nipples?” His face feels like it’s on fire, but it’s all worth it for the way Tal looks at him, like he’s proud. “...Make it hurt?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

He could live off that expression, he thinks as Tal pinches and pulls, Tal’s lips against his and his own noises loud in his ears. The pleasure-pain is so intense that he’s rapidly feeling dizzy with it again, his kisses growing sloppy and desperate, little more than breathing raggedly into Tal’s mouth.

“I’m having a lot of fun,” Tal murmurs, digging a nail in sharply so Travis yelps, soothing it over with his fingertips. “I love hearing you enjoy yourself. You’re doing so good for me.” The groan is already out of Travis’ mouth before he realises it’s happening. “Do you like hearing how well you’re doing?”

“I’m – not sure?” He’s literally never thought about it before, and it seems kind of unnecessary – but he wants to be good at this, he knows that much. “I want you to be – to enjoy yourself.”

Tal’s hands still again. “Want me to be what?”

“Pleased with me,” Travis admits, and when he drops his gaze Tal’s hand catches him under the chin, lifting his head until he can’t avoid looking him in the eyes.

“Travis, I am. I’m _ so _ pleased. You’re doing everything I ask you to do,” he says, utterly seriously, and Travis feels so _ grateful, _which is weird and kind of ridiculous. “Which is exactly what I want. Not anything else.”

Travis frowns, because Tal’s making it sound like… “Don’t you want me to touch you as well?”

Tal raises an eyebrow. “Did I tell you to?”

“...no.”

“Well, there you go.” He places his hands on top of Travis’ for a moment, where they’re still gripping his hips. “I don’t want you to worry about what you think you ‘should’ be doing right now. I want you to do what I tell you to, and to tell me when you want something. That’s all.”

Every time he feels like he’s stumbling in the dark, Tal’s right there beside him, shining a light.

“Okay. I want you to keep touching my nipples,” he almost whispers, and it still feels ridiculous and kind of shameful to say, but Tal isn’t laughing at him. “Like you just did. And – talk to me?”

He can’t quite make himself say _ tell me how pleased you are with me, _but he sees Tal’s expression soften and knows that he knows.

“Sure,” Tal says easily, shifting on top of Travis’ thighs, cupping his chest. “It’s funny, how the things we think we shouldn’t want are often the things that _ really _ do it for us. Good thing there’s no ‘should’ here.” He brushes his fingertips over Travis’ nipples, more impossibly tender every time, and smiles when he whines in the back of his throat. “This time I want you to tell me when to stop.”

Travis has his mouth open to ask Tal what he means when he digs his nails in, twin points of fire on his chest, and he abruptly forgets how to form words.

This time Tal’s _ hurting _him hurting him, and he recognizes the endorphin high when it hits a few moments later, blanketing him in hazy warmth, making it bearable. He presses his face into Tal’s neck, hears his voice murmuring, “So good, you’re taking it so well.”

“Hurts,” he protests, like a child, and feels Tal kiss his ear and say, “I know it does. I want you to take as much as you can for me, okay?”

“Okay,” he agrees, lasting another thirty seconds before it’s _ really _ too much and he whines, “Stop?”

He lets out a shuddering breath when Tal’s touches immediately become light and gentle again, such a relief after the pain but still almost maddening on his sensitized nipples.

“There,” Tal’s saying, circling Travis’ nipples with his fingertips, “That was wonderful. You were so good. We’re gonna go again when you’re ready, okay?”

“Okay.” He presses his forehead against Tal’s shoulder, nipples throbbing beneath his touch, cock aching tight in his jeans. He doesn’t know how long he’s been hard for, or if Tal will ever touch him there, or if it would be possible to come just like this – if anyone could make it happen, it’d be Tal.

“Tell me when,” Tal says, still drawing gentle circles with his fingertips.

“Yeah. Okay. Please,” Travis replies, bracing himself for what he knows is coming.

It – hurts some more, because of course it does, but there’s a haze of pleasure surrounding him too and Tal is still whispering words of praise into his ear, and Travis feels like he could almost float on the combined sensations, let them carry him out of his own body entirely. It’s certainly becoming harder and harder to think, to be aware of anything except the pain in his chest and the ache in his cock, and the reassuring weight of Tal’s thighs, bracketing his own.

This time, he doesn’t say stop. The next thing he knows the pain is gone, and Tal is pushing gently at his shoulders. “Lie back,” he says, and Travis does it immediately, feeling the residual soreness in his abs from the other day’s workout before he hits the mattress. Tal tips forward over him a moment later, blue-purple hair falling over his face until he pulls it to one side, kissing Travis’ lips, Travis’ breath hitching when he kisses his throat below his Adam’s apple.

“Hands in my hair, or on my shoulders,” Tal says, and ducks his head, mouth covering Travis’ left nipple.

Holy _ shit, _ if he thought Tal’s _ fingers _ were good then this is _ wonderful, _ warm and soft and wet and sending a dizzying spike of pleasure through him – and it’s not like he’s never done this before but it was always brief and playful and he felt kind of weird about liking it, and _ this _is so much more, this is Tal focused and intent and fucking gorgeous too, determined to wring every drop of pleasure from Travis that he can.

“Oh _ fuck,_” he groans, and carefully tangles his fingers into Tal’s hair.

He didn’t know his nipples could feel this good. He didn’t know _ anything _could feel this good.

And then Tal _ bites, _and it’s only the weight of his body on top of him that stops Travis bucking off the bed.

“Do I need to hold you down?” Tal asks mildly, like _ holding him down _ is something he’d just do _ right now _ if Travis asked him to, and the sheer _ idea _of it actually wipes Travis’ mind completely blank for a moment.

“Uh. Sorry,” is all that comes out of his mouth, and Tal grins around his nipple, flashing his teeth.

“You’d better keep still if you want me to keep doing this,” he warns, and Travis doesn’t doubt for a moment that he means it. 

Tal alternates between one nipple and the other, nipping and then soothing with his tongue, and Travis keeps Tal’s hair off his face and gets a crick in his neck from watching. His nipples are puffy and swollen, flushed a deep pink, and he can’t stop staring, pulse thumping insistently between his legs. 

“Could you come from this?” Tal asks, and even the heat of his breath on Travis’ nipple is enough to send another jolt of pleasure through it.

“No, I don’t think so. But it’s – not gonna take much,” he confesses, face hot.

“Good. I like that.” Tal flicks his nipple with his tongue as Travis strokes his thumbs down his sideburns. “I’d like to jerk you off, does that sound good?”

“Please.” He _ wants, _ has wanted for a while, but he’s been trying so hard to be patient, to sink into this and just take what Tal’s giving him, made all the sweeter by the hot curl of shame threading through the pleasure. 

Tal shifts over, breath hot against Travis’ left nipple as he braces himself on his left arm, and reaches down with his right to undo Travis’ jeans.

When Tal’s hand first wraps around his cock Travis swears, mentally revising how long he’s expecting to last from minutes down to seconds. 

“Tell me when,” Tal says, and works him a _ lot _ slower than he’d work himself right now – though left unchecked, Travis would probably be in danger of giving himself blisters.

“I’m gonna – _ fuck!_” he exclaims as without warning Tal lets go of his cock, clamps his mouth over Travis’ nipple and _ sucks, _ and it’s _ incredible _ but it’s not enough, just leaves him teetering on the brink, not quite tipping over.

“Jesus fuck, Tal,” he complains, and Tal just grins and gives his other nipple a pinch that’s too hard to be friendly.

“Manners,” he chides, and then, “I’m gonna touch you again. Tell me when.”

The second time, Travis gets so close that when Tal stops touching his cock and plays with his nipples again, he actually starts _ shaking_. 

“Don’t hold back,” he murmurs, and Travis is strung taut as a wire and it _ hurts, _ and he wants to pull away from Tal’s hands and push into them all at once. “If it’s gonna happen, let it happen –” and _ oh, _ oh _ shit, _Tal’s not just edging him, he’s trying to – 

“Tal,” he says, a little desperately, and Tal pushes up his body and kisses him.

“Hey. It’s okay. You’re doing great,” he says, stroking Travis’ jaw; and Travis forces a smile in return, so embarrassed by how needy he’s being but unable to help craving Tal’s reassurance. “You don’t need to think right now, okay? I’m gonna touch you, and you just stay relaxed, and tell me when.”

“Yeah. Okay,” Travis manages, trying as hard as he knows how to just do what Tal’s telling him and _ not _ think about any of this or what it might mean, simply trust him and take what he’s given, left hand pinching his nipple again, right hand jerking his cock and Tal’s lips on his throughout; and he’s so tightly wound it feels like barely any time at all before he’s already saying, “I’m gonna –” and Tal moves his right hand to his other nipple and _ twists, _ and Travis _ howls _ and comes without even a hand on his cock, seeing stars.

It’s not the hardest he’s ever come in his life but Tal’s got inside his head too, and he doesn’t know how to describe it but it’s like he’s coming with his _ mind _ as well and not just his body.

As he comes to again it’s to the realization that he _ hurts, _Tal’s fingers still rolling his sore, abused nipples, worse without the pleasure to cushion it, and when he hisses and tries to pull away, Tal’s fingers tighten until he flinches and stills.

“Shh. You’re gonna take a little more for me, okay?” He kisses Travis again without waiting for an answer, fingers never stilling. “Use your hands. I’m gonna hurt you until you make me come.”

_ Don’t think, _Travis reminds himself, still half-dazed, and reaches for the button on Tal’s jeans.

As he draws his cock out it’s rock-hard already, and Tal hisses between his teeth when Travis’ thumb finds the wetness at the tip. He’s not used to handling a cock from this angle but fortunately he’s still a little too out of it to really be nervous, and as he starts to stroke and Tal says, “Harder, yeah, that’s good. Press behind my balls with your other hand. _ There, _just like that,” he realizes that Tal isn’t gonna let him flounder here either.

“Mmm. You’re so pretty when you’re hurting.” He’s pinching just enough to make Travis wince. “I bet these are gonna be sore for days. They won’t let you forget how much you like them being played with. Bit faster – yeah, like that. Gonna mark you up right here.” Travis follows Tal’s eyeline to the sticky pool of come on his belly, glistening over the trail of dark hair there – and his eyes snap back to Tal’s with a whine when he rolls both nipples, _ hard. _ “Let me hear you – _ oh!_” His cock jerks in Travis’ hand, shooting over Travis’ belly as he _ finally _releases his nipples.

Tal lowers himself carefully over Travis’ body, pressing a kiss to his lips, then one to each nipple, which despite their gentleness still make him hiss. “Stay still. I’m gonna get something to clean us up.” 

Travis does as he’s told, chest throbbing, thoughts coming as if through molasses; Taliesin comes back a few moments later with a warm washcloth and wipes his cock and belly clean, tucking him away and zipping up his jeans, and Travis feels a little like he shouldn’t want to be taken care of like this – but what did Tal say about ‘should’?

Eventually Tal lies down beside him, snuggling under Travis’ arm and turning into his body, throwing an arm over his chest and a leg over his. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m good,” he says automatically, and then actually thinks about the question he’s been asked. “Though things are still a little fuzzy?”

“Oh, that’s totally normal. We’re gonna stay here and cuddle at _ least _ until that feeling’s completely gone away.”

“Okay.” Travis considers mentioning that his nipples fucking hurt too, but, well. _ Obviously. _“How – how was it?”

“Awesome,” Tal replies immediately, “I’m gonna have so much fun with you,” and maybe Travis _ is _still a little bit under because he can’t help the immediate flush of pride that blooms in his chest at those words.

He was still carrying just a little bit of fear that he was somehow going to suck at this; and when he swallows his pride and admits as much, Tal’s eyes go all soft and he shifts back a little to look Travis in the eye.

“I think the only way you could suck at this would be by being dishonest about what you want,” he says seriously, “and I know you better than that. That’s why I’m here.” He considers for a moment, fingers playing with the trail of hair on Travis’ lower belly, where he came all over him not a quarter hour before. “Remind me why you invited me here?”

“Cause I was curious. About kinky stuff. And – because I think you’re really hot and I wanted you to be the one to teach me,” Travis says in a rush, and Tal smiles again and kisses his shoulder.

“Both great reasons. But we can also look at it from a slightly different angle: instead of ‘learning about kink’, we’re learning about _ you. _What you like. What your body can do.” He presses a finger briefly against one nipple, leaving a rush of soreness in its wake. “And what your brain can do. There’s so much that’s possible, if you’re willing to go on that journey.”

All Taliesin did was touch him, and hurt him a little; no toys, nothing remotely ‘extreme’, and he thoroughly blew Travis’ mind all the same. The idea of what he could do _ with _all those things is equal parts scary and exciting.

“Yeah. I’m realizing as much.”

“So this was just a taster session. Assuming you’d like there to be a second time –”

“Yes,” Travis interrupts, and Tal smiles.

“– okay. Me too. Then I’m gonna send you some ideas for things we could explore, and just let me know if you’d like to try any of them. I don’t wanna get too deep into checklists and things too quickly, we can take it one idea at a time, but I do want to talk specifics about what does and doesn’t work for us. Did you like it when I kept hurting you after I made you come?”

“I, uh –” Travis’ tongue sticks in his mouth, partly because he doesn’t quite know and partly because it’s a lot harder to talk about this when Tal isn’t getting him off at the same time. “I’m not sure. I didn’t _ not _like it?”

“That’s good. I liked it a lot.”

“But – I liked that you were talking to me.”

He’s not sure it makes any sense, but Taliesin nods like he understands. “If you don’t enjoy pain for its own sake, then you need an incentive,” he explains. “That can be physical, or something mental – praise, or seeing that you’re pleasing your partner – or a bit of everything.” 

“Oh, I get it.”

Taliesin grins. “Humans are great, aren’t they?” 

“Sure are,” Travis agrees, giving him a squeeze. He feels pretty much entirely like himself again. “Do you wanna get up?”

“Already? I haven’t had proper cuddles yet.” Tal gives him a mock-offended look. “It’s a vital part of the kinky sex experience.” 

“Alright,” Travis laughs, rolling onto his side. “Come here.”

He pulls Tal close and buries his nose into his neck, pressing their chests together, a lingering ache in his nipples that he knows will be there long after Taliesin’s gone.

It’s not always easy to tell the people you love what it is you want, he thinks, but it’s always worth it.


End file.
